2014 Every Child is Our Child Site Visit

In early February, Bruce Knotts, UU-UNO Director, and Maria Militano, Every Child is Our Child (ECOC) intern, traveled to Odumase Krobo, Ghana for our yearly monitoring visit. The purpose of this visit was to maintain our relationship with the ECOC leaders, build new connections...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |2/26/2014

Meet Susan: Our Wonderdul High School Student

During our 2014 site visit (INSERT LINK), we had the pleasure of meeting a very special student that has been in our program since 2010. Susan is an inspiring young woman whose resilience and perseverance shines through. She is 18 years of age and is in her first year of Senior...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |2/24/2014

'Anti-gay' bill becomes law in Uganda (updated)

It was dreadful to wake up this morning to the news that the President of Uganda had signed the 'anti-gay' bill into law. Though this action has looked likely for weeks, there has been some hope that Museveni would challenge the popular will in his country. Instead, he re-...

By Eric Cherry |2/24/2014

Final Session of the Open Working Group for Sustainable Development

We are Here, and We are Heard Once again, the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO) played an active role during the final session of the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development. Between the dates of February 3rd and 7th, the OWG8 discussed important...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |2/21/2014

Eleanor Mason

Our esteemed colleague and beloved friend Eleanor Mason passed January 29th, 2014, peacefully in her daughter's arms at the age of 94. A founding member of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship (MUF), Eleanor was the UU-UNO volunteer Envoy Coordinator for many years, succeeded by...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |2/18/2014

KUJENGA MADARAJA: Spanning Cultures

New York became the World Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist community hub when 120 participants from 25 different countries gathered January 27-31 for the Council Meeting and Conference of the International Council of Unitarian Universalists (ICUU)). This was first time that...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |2/14/2014

FUSW Youth Exchange Program

U/U youth are invited to participate in an international youth exchange program through the First Unitarian Society of Westchester (FUSW). Since 2008, American U/U youth have been exchanging with U/U families in Europe for a couple weeks each year, experiencing the profound...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |2/12/2014

A Review of the LGBT-Faith and Asylum Network Retreat

A Review of the LGBT-Faith and Asylum Network Retreat January 8-January 10, 2014 The trip from New York City to Washington, D.C., daunting as it may seem for a first-timer, is quite easy and comfortable. As a native New Yorker, born and raised, I had never embarked on a trip to...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |1/16/2014

Beyond Agreements and Laws - Doing World Peace with International Bridges to Justice

Is world peace an optimist’s dream? Something shouted at war protest by people who don’t understand the way the world works? Or is it something much more realistic? If you want to take action that’s beyond just talking about it – this is for you. As broadcast on KKFI Kansas City...

By Sarah Foster |1/15/2014

Uganda Passes the Anti Homosexuality Bill

On Friday, December 20, 2013, the Ugandan Parliament passed the long-dreaded kill-the-gays bill otherwise known as the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The bill, as passed, does not call for the death penalty; instead, it mandates life imprisonment for "aggravated homosexuality."...

By Bruce Knotts |12/20/2013

Dark Day for Gay rights in India

Last week's report that India's Supreme Court had issued a ruling upholding the criminalization of gay sex was shocking. And, LGBT activists in India have organized and responded quickly. Derek Mitchell, the Director of the UUA's Holdeen India Program writes from New Delhi that...

By Eric Cherry |12/16/2013

INTERNATIONAL U/U YOUNG ADULT LISTENING PROJECT

.. If you're a U/U young adult living outside the US, we want to talk to you! The UUA International Office is conducting a listening project. If you're interested, book Shawna Foster or send her an email . What's a listening project? It's when an interviewer spends time with a...

Warsaw Climate Conference 2013 – THE INSIDE SCOOP Since 1995, The United Nations Climate Change Conference has been held annually at different locations around the world. This year, the conference was held in Warsaw, Poland from November 11th through the 23rd. We were fortunate...

The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) will hold its biannual Conference and Council Meeting January 28-31, 2014 at the beautiful and inspiring campus of the UU congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York. More than 140 Unitarians and Unitarian...

By Nicole McConvery |12/10/2013

UUA President Attends the 9th World Assembly of Religions for Peace: "Welcoming the Other"

As I attend the Religions for Peace World Assembly in Vienna, I can’t help but feel deep pride as a Unitarian Universalist. There are more than six hundred religious leaders here from all over the world—Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. There are even...

By Eric Cherry |11/22/2013

Religions for Peace will inaugurate 9th World Assembly

Every 5-6 years the worlds largest and most representative interfaith organization focused on Peace, Religions for Peace (RFP) convenes a World Assembly of senior-most religious leaders for the purpose of forging a deep moral consensus on contemporary challenges, eliciting a new...

The sound of laughter, smooth jazz, and the clink of champagne glasses rose out of Reidy Hall, located in the lower level of All Souls in New York City, on Friday evening, November 8th, 2013. Old friends were gathered around tables adorned with elegant flowing table cloths, felt...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |11/15/2013

UU Church of the Philippines and Typhoon Haiyan

Update, Monday November 17, 0013: Reaching Out to Survivors in the Philippines In the week since a super typhoon devastated parts of the Philippines, UUSC and the UUA have sprung into action with the generous support of donors to the UUSC-UUA Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Relief...

By Eric Cherry |11/9/2013

All Souls Unitarian Church (Washington, DC) premiers amazing film

In 1996, a box was uncovered at the home of a parishioner of All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington D.C. In that box were nearly 50 colorful drawings made by children as thanks for gifts received from the church fifty years earlier. Not many people in the church knew the story...

By Eric Cherry |11/6/2013

Unitarians respond to Bujumbura Central Market fire

Reverend Fulgence Ndagijamana, minister of the Assembly of Unitarian Christians of Burundi writes from Bujumbura: On January 27th 2013, the central market of Bujumbura caught fire and thousands of families lost their livelihoods . It is important to remember that the central...

By Eric Cherry |11/4/2013

New UU Leadership in the Philippines

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="5448,5457,5456,5455,5454,5453,5452,5451,5450,5449"] On Sunday, October 20, 2013 the Bicutan UU Church in Metro-Manila installed its first minister, Rev. Ma. Theresa (Tet) Gallardo. The church's new chapel, which was dedicated one year ago, was...

By Eric Cherry |11/1/2013

Challenges for Religious Freedom in the Digital Age | August 2014

The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) will be hosting its 34th World Congress at the University of Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, from August 24 to 27, 2014 . The theme of the upcoming congress, "Challenges for Religious Freedom: The Digital Age," is...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |11/1/2013

2013 UN Sunday Readings

Get excited for UN Sunday ! To celebrate UN Day (October 24th), the UU-UNO posted readings to be used for a UN Sunday service or event. We invited our UU-UNO Envoys (and any passionate congregants) to host UN Sunday service or event and focus on this year's topic: Sex, Love and...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |10/25/2013

International Bridges to Justice: Vishna's story

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KcDzMnHzlZs ]. Visit Communities of Conscience website Vishna is a four year old boy who is like any other you will meet at that age. He is from Cambodia, and has bright brown eyes and pinchable cheeks. His...

By Eric Cherry |10/16/2013

The Philippines endures earthquake

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Philippines earlier this week, centered below the island of Bohol. A state of emergency has been declared in Bohol and Cebu. Please extend your thoughts and prayers to all who are suffering through this disaster. The center of Unitarian...

By Eric Cherry |10/16/2013

ICUU International Ministers Gathering: February 1-2, 2014

ICUU International Ministers Gathering February 1 and 2, 2014 Theme: Connecting As Ministers Across Unitarian and Unitarian Universalist Cultures “We serve and work in many different countries, within many different cultures, in different economies and political settings,...

By Eric Cherry |9/30/2013

A Seminarian’s Experience at Tsubaki Grand Shrine

Sarah E. Gillespie is a UU seminarian & 2014 M.Div candidate at Andover Newton Theological School. In July 2013 she was the recipient of the UUA’s Tsubaki Grand Shrine Scholarship . Tsubaki Grand Shrine is an ancient Shinto shrine in Suzuka, Japan, and an historic interfaith...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |8/30/2013

Be Like Others: Transgender Life in Iran

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, homosexuality is criminalized and punishable, in some cases by death. However, sex reassignment surgery is legal with government permission, and Iran performs the second most sex reassignment surgeries of any country in the world. On August 22,...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |8/26/2013

Saving Syria: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Syrian Civil War

Hello, my name is Russell Hathaway. I am a student at the University of Chicago and an intern at the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO), studying sexual and gender-based violence in the Syrian Civil War in coordination with our office program: Women: Security...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |8/23/2013

New Climate Change Religious Education Curriculum

Hi! My name is Lily Hartzell and I'm an intern at the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office. I live in California, and I'm entering my senior year of high school. This summer I have been creating a religious education curriculum geared towards fourth and fifth graders....

Food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, land degradation, climate change and their interactions have all been major topics of discussion in the development of the United Nations (UN) post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals. In 2011, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |8/9/2013

Hiroshima Day 2013

Today (August 6, 2013) is Hiroshima Day! As we observe the 68th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, individuals and congregations alike are invited to view our available interfaith and Unitarian Universalist (UU) resources . Perhaps one of the most inspiring stories to come...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |8/6/2013

Be Like Others: Sex Reassignment Surgery in Iran Event

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, homosexuality is criminalized and punishable, in some cases, by death. Sex reassignment surgery, however, is legal, and Iran performs the second most sex reassignment surgeries of any country in the world. The Unitarian Universalist United...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |7/29/2013

On the Road: UU Camps

Op-ed Summer is a time when some UU's take a break from weekly visits to their congregation and instead spend time in intentional multigenerational spaces. I am one of these UU's. Each summer since my birth I have traveled for at least one week to explore my spirituality and...

The Unitarian Universalist United Nation’s Office (UU-UNO), in collaboration with the United Nations NGO Committee for Human Rights and the NGO Committee for Sustainable Development, cordially invite you attend and participate in an upcoming event: Food Security, Nutrition, and...

United Nations Sustainable Development Working Group

Members of the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office Climate Change Initiative engaged with member states and many other UN entities at the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which completed its fourth of eight planned sessions last month,...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |7/3/2013

International Presence at GA 2013

[gallery ids="4667,4669,4670,4672,4675,4676,4668"] GA Welcomes International Guests At last week's 52nd annual General Assembly the UUA International Office was honored to welcome over one dozen international partners from all over the world as they joined us for the week of...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |6/28/2013

No Longer in My Name: A Faith-Based Response to Faith-Based Intolerance

In over 76 countries, religion is used as a rationale to oppress people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Now is the time for people of faith to respond to faith-based intolerance and, on June 12, the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office and other...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |6/18/2013

Twelfth Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

The Doctrine of Discovery and its Repudiation Hosting Agencies/Organizations: United Methodists The United Methodist Office for the United Nations and the Native American International Caucus of the United Methodist Church sponsored a brilliant seminar on what is known as the “...

No Longer in My Name: Faith-Based Response to Faith-Based Intolerance in Uganda

The Unitarian Universalist United Nation’s Office and the Unitarian Universalist Association's LGBT Uganda Fund, in collaboration with the United Nations NGO Committee for Human Rights, cordially invite you to: No Longer In My Name: A Faith-Based Response to Faith-Based...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |5/22/2013

You Are Welcome: Every Child is Our Child Site Visit

This year the Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office sent three office members, UU-UNO Envoy Coordinator Kamila Jacob, New York University Social Work Intern Jacklyn Booth, and Fordham University Social Work Intern Anida Fregjaj to Ghana for the annual Every Child is Our...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |5/17/2013

Inspired by Indonesian Unitarians

The Unitarians of Indonesia are an inspiring part of our global faith with tremendous commitment, good organization, an evangelical attitude, and a strong focus on ministry with youth and young adults. It was a pleasure to visit with them for 4 days in April 2013. Gereja Jemaat...

By Eric Cherry |5/10/2013

Half the Sky Film Screening

The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office has partnered with the Half the Sky movement which raises awareness about critical women's rights issues, opening a space for a deeper discussion and action steps. The UU-UNO has developed a resource packet so that congregations...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |5/6/2013

Sex, Love and Violence: Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity in a Globalized World

The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office hosted the annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar on April 4th through the 6th. The title this year was Sex, Love and Violence: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in a Globalized World . We had 135 attendees of all ages from...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |4/22/2013

Dublin Unitarian Church: Walking the Talk

Currently located in Dublin, Ireland, Ron Campbell and his partner Vicky have been members of the UU Congregation of Princeton for over 34 years. Below, Ron shares their moving experiences with the Dublin Unitarian Church. I have thought of myself as a Unitarian Universalist (“...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |4/11/2013

Justice Con: JUUstice for All Souls

The UU-UNO Youth Conference, "Justice Con" was first executed at First UU in Brooklyn, NY with the help of the Metropolitan New York Youth/Adult Committee (YAC) . "Justice Con" was designed to work across districts with flexibility to include district-based schedules and...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |3/28/2013

The 57th Session of the Commission for the Status of Women at the United Nations

The Commission for the Status of Women's 57th Session (CSW 57) took place from March 4th-15th, here in NYC, at the United Nations. The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office took an active role in the CSW events. Below you will find summaries of all of the CSW panels and...

By UUA International Resources Staff Group |3/25/2013

Japan Earthquake: Two Years Later

Today is the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The massive destruction and loss of human life was compounded by the threat of radiation from four damaged nuclear reactors. Two years later, reconstruction...